Petrol price hiked by 35 paise per litre

Petrol price was tonight hiked by about 35 paise per litre in line with firming raw material cost. Petrol will cost Rs 67.56 per litre in Delhi with effect from midnight tonight, industry sources said.

Prices vary from city to city due to differential local sales tax or VAT rates. This is the first revision in rates of petrol, which was deregulated by the government, since November.

Petrol price was cut twice in October and November -- first by 56 paise and then by 95 paise per litre.

22:27Detractors damaging Congress in Himachal: Virbhadra: Cautioning his detractors against trying to create political instability in Himachal Pradesh,Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today said they were not 'damaging' him but the Congress party in the state.

"The people who are making attempts within the party are not damaging Virbhadra Singh, they are in fact damaging the Congress party", he said adding, that he knew the pulse of such people.

Police in northwest China's Gansu Province reportedly apprehended seven people who had allegedly convinced a local Tibetan villager to immolate himself last year, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

A police investigation showed the self-immolation of a 26-year-old resident of Nawu Township in the city of Hezuo on October 6, 2012 was "masterminded by key members of the Tibetan Youth Congress of the overseas Dalai clique," according to a statement

He was interrogated in the presence of District Superintendent of Police Sarvashrest Tripathi.

Owaisi was questioned at the Armed Police Reserve Office in Hyderabad, as directed by the Nirmal magistrate's court, which has allowed the investigating officer to take police custody of Owaisi for five days from January 12, sources in the police department said.

20:51Not in talks with any Indian carrier: Qatar Airways: Amid reports of Qatar Airways holding talks to acquire a stake in SpiceJet, the premier Gulf carrier today said that such "unfounded rumours" were being spread to raise share prices and asserted that it was not in talks with any Indian airline at present.

"Qatar Airways categorically denies it is interested in investing in Spicejet or any other Indian airline. This is pure speculation by individuals who deliberately want to spread such unfounded rumours to raise the stock value of their entities," the airline's CEO Akbar Al Baker said in a statement from Doha.

20:47Pak violates ceasefire, fires at 2 Indian posts: The Pakistan Army violated the ceasefire along the Line of Control for the fourth time since the flag meeting on Monday by firing across the border at two Indian Army posts at Mendhar sector in Jammu and Kashmir.

According to media reports, the firing stopped after two minutes as the Indian troops did not fire back.

"President Asif Ali
Zardari should resign immediately. He cannot hold free and fair
elections because he is holding two offices," Khan told a news
conference in the eastern city of Lahore.

19:28No Pak women's team in World Cup: Sources: After recent ceasefire violations by Pakistan, and the barbaric
killing of two Indian jawans by Pakistani troops, sources say
the Pakistan women's cricket team is unlikely to come for the World Cup
starting in India later this month, reports NDTV.

The Board of Control for Cricket in
India has written to the International Cricket Council or ICC on
concerns over security for the team.

Rajiv Shukla, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs said,
"Whatever reactions we are getting from different political parties and
protest groups, we will convey to the ICC and, accordingly, ICC will
have to take a decision." He added that any "decision will be taken
keeping in mind the sentiments of the people."

18:49 On a lighter note: Jeans designed with a man's anatomy in mind. Read

18:43 The complete text of the Supreme Court order for the arrest of Pakistani prime minister Raja Pervez Ashraf. Read

18:35 The Prime Minister has briefed President Pranab Mukherjee on the developments on the LoC firing fallout.

18:30Khurshid: India won't ignore Pak's brazen denial: "Actions by Pak army constitute a grave provocation. We doubt the intent of the Pakistan government on the peace process," said Khurshid. The press conference was over in less than five minutes and was basically a formal statement from the government.

18:27Khurshid: Grave provocation by Pakistan: External Affairs minister Salman Khurshid addresses a press briefing on the India's response to the LoC killings. Khurshid says that the barbaric killing and mutilation of the two Indian soldiers has been condemned by India. "We have called upon the Pakistan government to act on those guilty. A flag meet was held to reiterate our position. It should not be felt that the brazen denial and a lack of proper response by Pakistan will be ignored by India. It will affect bilateral relations with Pakistan," says Khurshid.

The library, designed by British architect Edwin Lutyens and located in the north east corner of Rashtrapati Bhavan, was dumped with books till Mukherjee, an avid reader of history, decided to renovate it.

Extra bookshelves have been removed to create space and a table with chairs designed by Lutyens himself, add to the grace of this relatively small yet elegant portion of the imposing Rashtrapati Bhavan.

After four months of carefully undertaken renovation work, a brightly lit library, having view of entire Raisina Hill, welcomes guests with 4000 titles neatly stacked in British-era wooden cupboards, the oldest one being Alexander Beatson's "War with Tippoo Sultan and the siege of Seringapatnam", published in 1800.

Edward Foster's "British Gallery of Engravings from the Pictures of the Italian, Flemish, Dutch and English Schools", which has signature of Viceroy Lord Curzon, is another rare piece from the collection which was gifted to him by Raja of Tripura.

The library also has collection of early editions of Punch, a British weekly magazine of humour and satire which was published on Saturdays in 19th and 20th Century.

"The library has over 24,000 books but only 4000 have been put on display. The rest are being catalogued, arranged and if needed restored to original condition," Press Secretary to President Venu Rajamony said.

18:10Would have been happier if Pak was given deadline: BJP: Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Yashwant Sinha on Tuesday welcomed Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh''s statement that there cannot be business as usual with Pakistan in wake of the brutal killing of Indian jawans along the Line of Control (LoC).

Sinha, who was the Finance Minister of the country during the NDA regime, said that the Prime Minister should have given a deadline to Pakistan and asked Islamabad to act within a reasonable time.

"I am quite sure there is a plan of action in the government''s mind, in the PM''s mind. I would have been happier if he (Prime Minister) had given a deadline to Pakistan. Pakistan does not act within a reasonable time then India should unleash that Plan B," he said.

17:31BJP: Pak should be replied to in their own language: BJP's Yashwant Sinha says Pakistan must be replied in a language they can understand. Reacting to the PM's statement that after the barbaric
act (the killing and mutilation of the two jawans at the LoC) there
cannot be business as usual with Pakistan. The BJP says that the alternative to peace talks does not mean war. "India can't show any weakness while dealing with Pakistan," says Sinha.

17:24Big presence of Chinese in PoK: Lt Gen Parnaik: Asserting that there is a large presence of Chinese troops and workers in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK), Northern Command Chief Lt Gen T K Parnaik today said that China would not like to "interfere" in border conflict between India and Pakistan.

"There is a large number of People's Liberation Army(PLA) troops and Chinese workers in PoK and we also know that they are involved in construction of infrastructural projects in Gilgit-Baltistan and PoK," Parnaik told reporters after presenting gallantry and distinguished service awards to 44 Army personnel of the Northern Command at the Investure ceremony on 65th Army Day celebration in Delhi.

However, no report has been received about their carrying of weapons in PoK and are readying for it, Parnaik said. "I do not think China will be stakeholder in India and Pakistan on the issue of border skirmishes-- it has not interfered and will not do it," he said.

17:10 India says that there will be dialogue only and only after Pakistan can rebuild confidence with its acts.

17:06Khurshid: NO timeline for Pak to act on LoC guilty: External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid clarifies that there is no timeline for Pakistan to bring the perpetrators of the LoC attack to book, but India is pressing Pakistan very hard to act in the LoC incident. Khurshid also said that visas-on-arrival will remain on hold, a change in decision depends on the situation.

16:59Pakistan army, judiciary conspire against government: PM's aide: An aide to Pakistan's embattled prime minister said on Tuesday there was "no doubt" the country's powerful military and Supreme Court were working together to topple the government.Fawad Chaudhry was speaking to Reuters after the Supreme Court ordered the arrest of Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf. A populist cleric believed to be backed by the military has called for the resignation of the unpopular government. Read the report on Reuters.

Reacting to the PM's statement, BJP senior leader Yashwant Sinha says the party welcomes the PM's tough stance, albeit late. He says India should call off the peace process with Pakistan.

This morning, National Security Adviser Shiv Shankar Menon met opposition leaders Arun Jaitley and Sushma Swaraj on the situation at the Line of Control.

On Monday, after the BJP sharply criticised the government's policy on Pakistan, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had called up the two senior leaders and discussed the issue.

16:33 Asked about the options vis-a-vis Pakistan, the PM says it cannot be discussed in the open. "There will be a statement by government," says the PM.

16:31 With the PM talking tough today, the other repercussions of the killing of the two jawans today were the withdrawal of the visa-on-arrival policy for Pakistani senior citizens and all Pakistani hockey players have been asked to return home.

The PM was speaking off camera during the 65th Army Day function at Delhi today.

16:26What happened in LoC is unacceptable: PM : The Prime Minister added that those responsible for this crime (of mutilating soldiers' bodies) will have to be brought to book. Asked about Pakistan being in denial mode, PM Manmohan Singh said, "I hope Pakistan realises this. What happened in LoC is unacceptable."

This is the first the PM is speaking on the gruesome killing and mutilation of the two Indian soldiers on January 8 at the LoC.

Meanwhile, PM Dr Manmohan Singh, in a statement today said that after the barbaric act (the killing and mutilation of the two jawans at the LoC) there cannot be business as usual with Pakistan. This is the end then, of the rapprochement Dr Singh wanted as his legacy.

16:15 On Twitter: Biswajit: In Sri Lanka, the executive has forced out the chief justice. In Pakistan the chief justice wants to force out the executive.

SocoMumbai: Pak PM should have called the SC bhaiyaa!! N repeated the saraswati sloka then the judge would let him go.

16:12Cleric Qadri fires up Pakistanis, asks govt to quit: Thousands of anti-government protesters heeding the call of a firebrand cleric rallied in the streets of the Pakistani capital on Tuesday for a second day despite early morning clashes with police who launched tear gas and fired shots into the air to push back stone-throwing demonstrators.

The protest called by Tahir-ul-Qadri, who has rocketed to national prominence after his return from Canada late last year, has galvanized many Pakistanis who say the current government has brought them only misery.

But critics fear that Qadri and his demands for election reforms may derail the country's upcoming democratic elections, possibly at the behest of the country's powerful military.

During a speech, Qadri called for the government to resign and called on his followers to stay in the streets of the capital until their demands are met. Qadri said that the Pakistani government has failed to provide security to citizens. Qadri said the conclusion of the long march was the beginning of the revolution.

16:05Watch: A short film on the ethnic clash between the Muslim and Bodo community in Assam.

16:01Qadri: Half speech delivered, half goal achieved: Lawyer/rights activist Asma Jahangir tweets: Only a nave person will think that there's no connection between order for PM's arrest and TuQ's protest. The connection is very clear - the boots are behind this.

Journalist AndrewBuncombe: In Sri Lanka, the executive has forced out the chief justice. In Pakistan the chief justice wants to force out the executive.

15:51Court issues arrest warrant for Porsche CEO: A court has issued an arrest warrant for Matthias Mueller, the chief executive officer and chairman of Porsche AG, the iconic German car maker, and eight other executives from the company. More

Tight security will be ensured on all the six hockey matches scheduled to be played in Mumbai and a regular assessment is being done in co-ordination with representatives of the Hockey India League (HIL), Deputy Police Commissioner Ravindra Shisve said today.

"We are taking all precautionary steps. We will ensure that matches are not disrupted. Tight security will be in place," Shisve said. "We are regularly meeting the representatives of Hockey India League and met them today also. We are assessing the situation," he added.

On Sunday, over 200 Shiv Sena activists protested against the participation of four Pakistani players in a scheduled practice session of 'Mumbai Magicians' team in Mumbai.

15:40Qadri puts pressure on Pak govt to face peoples parliament: The embattled Pakistan government now has yet another problem it cannot afford to shy away from. The Pakistani-Canadian cleric-politician Tahir-ul Qadri has triggered another political crisis in the country in the early hours of Tuesday by putting the federal and provincial governments on notice, asking them to step down by 11 am on Tuesday or face the "people's parliament' that has converged in the federal capital. Read

15:37IIM-A plans Rs 1cr package ... for directors: IIM Ahmedabad has mooted a proposal to offer its new director an annual package of Rs 1 crore, a five-fold raise, to attract talent. If the proposal survives divisions, the package will be the highest among the Indian Institutes of Management. At present, IIM directors get a package of around Rs 20 lakh a year, including a basic salary of Rs 80,000 per month. Read

Amid nationwide outrage against the brutal killing and mutilation of two soldiers by Pakistani troops in Poonch sector on January 8, Samajwadi Party (SP) General Secretary Ram Gopal Yadav on Tuesday said that war is the only solution for the border-dispute between the two Asian neighbours.

Terming the brutal killing of Indian jawans as a war crime, Yadav said that Pakistan should be given a befitting reply to prevent the recurrence of such incidents.

"The issue has not been resolved since 1947 despite several wars, and it is not going to be solved so easily. War is the only solution. It is matter of concern afterward that who remains alive and who not, but a war can only solve the issue,' said Yadav.

15:21Pak PM to be arrested for graft in power projects : The Supreme Court of Pakistan has ordered the arrest of Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf in the Rental Power Plants case. The court also ordered all other respondents in the case to be arrested. Ashraf was given the title of Raja Rental after he was accused of receiving kickbacks in the rental power projects. He was also accused of buying property in London from money earned through corruption in various scams, reports The Express Tribune.

He has been defending himself in the Supreme Court. On March 30, the apex court had directed the National Accountability Bureau to proceed against those who were in the post of minister for water and power from 2006 till the next general elections. As a result, on April 20, NAB issued arrest warrants for 33 persons, including Ashraf.

15:00 On Twitter: Mehmal Sarfraz: What? PM to be arrested? Supreme Court's order according to Geo.

(That's the Pakistani PM, not Dr Manmohan Singh)

14:55IHL tells four Pak hockey players to return home: CNN IBN: Four Pakistani hockey players of Mumbai Magicians have been asked to return home by Hockey India League. Nine players had contracts to play in the League. The Indian
Hockey Federation (IHF) today asked Hockey India (HI) to immediately stop the
participation of the Pakistani players in the Hockey India League (HIL) in
protest of the recent killing of Indian armymen by Pakistan regular
soldiers. Details awaited.

14:49Crossing a red line: News TV's martial music drowns out its responsibilities. The Business Standard on the ceasefire violations and killing of two Indian soldiers. Read

14:39Visa-on-arrival for Pak senior citizens on hold : Despite the repeated ceasefire violations, India and Pakistan were set to enter a new era of relations with the implementation of a liberal visa regime between the two nations beginning today. However, news comes in that the visas are on hold for Pakistani senior citizens due to technical reasons.

Pakistani nationals above 65 years of age were to be given a 45-day single entry visa on arrival with immigration officials at the Integrated Check Post at Attari. Children below 12 years of age can also get 45-day-visa at the Attari-Wagah check post.

The AIFF on Monday had mulled reducing the two-year penalty to just one year
during a meeting with former players of the club, according to a
Trinamool Congress Member of Parliament.

The AIFF has slapped Mohun Bagan with a two-year ban from the I-League
besides also scrapping their league engagements this season for
abandoning the violence-marred Kolkata derby against East Bengal on
December 9. Bagan will now resume the I-league season on zero points.

14:17 India gang rape called 'tipping point' that set off protests. The LA Times reports. Read

14:14Khaps to SC: Honour killings only by peace-loving families: Defending their role in honour killings, the Sarva Khap Panchayat on Monday claimed before the Supreme Court that such acts were committed "only' by "peace-loving and law abiding' families due to "social pressure'. Read more of this horror story.

14:01Pak Hockey Federation: Players still safe in India : The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has said that eight Pakistan players taking part in the Indian Hockey League in India were safe and there was no security concern regarding their participation in the event.

Around 100 workers of the hardline right-wing Shiv Sena party protested at a stadium where the Mumbai Magicians team, who have four Pakistan players in their squad, were practicing, reports the Daily Times.

A PHF spokesperson said Narinder Batra, Secretary General of Hockey India, has assured Pakistan that top security is being provided to the Pakistan players and there will be no issue of safety and security of the Pakistan players.

13:55One more gets bail in Kandhmal nun rape case: While the trial in the Kandhamal nun rape case at the district and sessions court here has been stayed by the Supreme Court for over a year, the Orissa High Court has granted bail to yet another accused in the case. With this, the number of accused getting bail in the case has gone up to 23.

13:52Indian's subway death: NY woman indicted, deemed fit for trial: A 31-year old woman, accused of shoving an Indian immigrant to his death in front of a subway train last month as she hated "Hindus and Muslims", has been found mentally fit to stand trial and was indicted on charges of murder as a hate crime by a US grand jury.

Erika Menendez of Queens pushed Sunando Sen, 46, in front of an oncoming subway train on December 27, telling authorities later that her hatred for "Hindus and Muslims" prompted her to do so.

Menendez had shown no remorse for her actions during an initial court hearing after her arrest last month, often laughing uncontrollably and telling a authorities that she "pushed a Muslim... in front of the train because I thought it would be cool." At the hearing, she was ordered to undergo a psychiatric evaluation.

13:41 Why journalists are covering rapes differently in New Delhia and Steubenville. This is a must-read if you haven't heard of the Steubenville, Ohio gang rape. Here you go.

13:39To stop rape, fix the police force first: "As a woman born and raised in India, I can attest to the ubiquity of sexual violence. I myself avoided being gang-raped by a group of drunk men through sheer providence." Read the blog.

This is the same police commissioner who had suggested women should arm themselves with chilly powder to safeguard themselves.

13:27Hockey India League asks teams not play with Pak :
The trouble between India and Pakistan on the Line of Control has spilled on to the sports field as well. A day after the Shiv Sena protested against the participation of Pakistani players in the Hockey India League (HIL), the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) was yesterday planning to shift the Pakistani women's team's world cup matches from Mumbai to Ahmedabad.

The Women's World Cup (WWC) is to be held in Mumbai from January 28. Hockey India League has also insisted that no Pakistani players be chosen in the opening game. More

Read the Hindu story for a reference point: Runaway grandmother sparked savage skirmish on LoC.

13:05'Three ceasefire violations by Pak after flag meet': More on what happened at the Indo-Pak Flag meet yesterday. "There were three ceasefire violations by Pakistan yesterday after the flag meeting. Pakistan fired from small firearms and also mortar shells. However, the Indian Army does not react in haste and anger. We have a plan and act according to that," says Lt Gen Parnaik.

13:00BJP livid with Manish Tewari's 'jingoism' remark: Taking potshots at Manish Tewari over his comment that jingoism needs to be avoided, the BJP today said the Information and Broadcasting Minister as part of the ruling UPA should be willing to share with the country as to how the government plans to avenge the insult to India.

BJP leader Balbir Punj said ''Manish Tewari as a minister should not be merely commenting on what others have said''. "As a minister and part of the government, he should be willing to share with the country as to how the Government of India plans to avenge the insult to India and also the repeated assaults and incursions against our border," he added.

Tewari earlier cautioned against ''jingoism'' after the BJP mounted pressure on the Centre on the issue of beheading of an Indian soldier by Pakistani Army along the LoC.

Lt Gen Patnaik is the third highest ranking officer in the Indian Army and is responsible for guarding the 1,896 kilometres of India's border with Pakistan and China. He spoke to Rediff.com's Archana Masih in an exclusive and fascinating interview in March 2012. Read

Following his death during the anti-rape stir in December, Delhi Police commissioner Neeraj Kumar had announced that all Delhi Police personnel would contribute their salary of one day to provide financial aid to Tomar's family.Kumar, however, said he has not received any letter and has clarified that the donation was only meant for IPS officers. "I never asked all the policemen to donate their salary," Kumar said. Read more

12:21Victim of eve-teasing shifted to hospital in Delhi: A minor Dalit girl, who set herself ablaze after being eve-teased, has been shifted to Ram Manohar Lohia hospital in Delhi in a serious condition. The girl was shifted to RML in Delhi from a private hospital in Shamli with 60 per cent burn injuries last evening. Meanwhile, the accused Sunil Kumar, who was arrested for eve-teasing the 16-year-old Dalit girl on January 14, has been sent for 14 days judicial custody by a local court .

"Professional armies respect rules of engagement. Transgressions are surmounted through tactical responses and not driven by jingoism," Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari said on micro-blogging site Twitter.

His comments came a day after BJP leader Sushma Swaraj said that if Pakistan does not return the head of martyred soldier Hemraj, India should get at least ten heads from the other side.

After visiting Hemraj's family along with party president Nitin Gadkari and leader Rajnath Singh yesterday, Swaraj had said, "The question is: will we sit without any reaction and engage in a dialogue?... That is why we have said that government should take some tough measures".

12:08Hair on victim's sweater may nail Himachal MLA: Hoshiarpur native Jyoti Rani, 24, who was allegedly killed by Himachal Congress MLA Ram Kumar Chaudhary and his accomplices, had struggled against them inside their car before she was eventually crushed under a truck. Hair that stuck to her sweater as a result of the struggle could prove to be the key clue now. Read more

12:02Jodie Foster lifts a veil at the Golden Globes: Yesterday, actress Jodie Foster made a semblance of an outing that she was lesbian, during the Golden Globe Awards. But, says the New York Times, the answer to the puzzle of Jodie Foster's rambling, raw, semi-confessional speech at the Globes may have been right there at the outset, when she skittishly quoted a lesser-known "Saturday Night Live' character and shouted: "I'm 50! I'm 50!' Read

11:58Are there are really more rapes happening?: A number of cases of violence against women are coming to light in the wake of the Delhi bus gang rape, a phenomenon that women's groups say shows that local media and police are paying more attention to the problem -- not that the incidence of violence is increasing. Read

11:57In Custody: Five Years in Jail and Innocent: When Arun Ferreira went to prison in 2007, his son was only two. Today, they are reunited, and a tide of private anguish has at last begun to roll back and wash away."My family didn't tell him that I was in jail, they told him I was away on business for five years,' Mr. Ferreira says. Read the story on the WSJ.

Meanwhile, the lawyers defending the five adults accused of carrying out the gang rape aboard a Delhi bus last month have provided an interesting sideshow to the media frenzy about the case with their colorful remarks and sniping. Read

11:39Army chief: Ready to face challenges to security :
Update on Army Chief General Bikram Singh's address to the nation: "In view of various challenges, we have kept operational preparedness of our forces at the highest level. I want to assure the nation that Indian Army is prepared to face all challenges to national security. The Indian Army's record as far as human rights is concerned is the best in the world," he said.

11:28A call for sex rang out in a law college classroom: "I was in my second year and the class was in progress when, all of a sudden, we heard a boy from the rear benches scream, "suck my ...'. The class came to a sudden halt and we were all shocked. The profanity was directed towards a girl."A 22-year-old studying in a prestigious law college of Delhi, writes for the Hindustan Times. Read

11:24Overcome by a sense of betrayal: People are beginning to believe that democracy, in which they had faith all these years, is part of the problem and, therefore, cannot be part of the solution. Read

11:22 Also read Urvashi Butalia's column on the Hindu on the anti-rape protests in Delhi last month.

11:21Challenging Indias rape culture: Let us talk about Ram Singh, the chief rapist of the Delhi gang-rape victim, who told his rape-colleagues, as they cleaned the bus, "not to worry, nothing will happen." Ram Singh and his five fellow rapists were right. Read

11:19Tension in Panaji after seven-year-old girl raped in Goa school: A seven-year-old girl was raped at her school in the port town of Vasco, resulting in huge protests in Panaji on Monday night.Police have detained the headmistress of the school on charges of negligence.The second grade student was sexually abused in the school toilet next to the office of the headmistress during recess yesterday, by an unidentified person, police said on Tuesday.The incident came to light after the minor complained of pain and was referred for medical examination.

"In the emerging markets, you have a variety of different stories, but I think the fundamentals there, in the emerging markets, are pretty good, and even if there's some moderation of growth in some countries, we are seeing overall a rather remarkable transformation of places like China and India, which has been the biggest anti-poverty programme in history," he said yesterday.

11:13 The Supreme Court on 11th January, delivered the judgement in the Karnataka Upa Lokayukta case. This is what BJP senior leader Arun Jaitley says on the issue. Read

11:11Half of worlds Black Dollars are from China: Radio Free Asia quoted a report from the German newspaper Sddeutsche Zeitung, which said that, in the past 10 years, through different means and various channels, the illegal funds fleeing from China reached a staggering US$3 trillion.

Out of every two "black dollars" in the world, one is from China. It was estimated that, after the 18th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party, when the authorities considered implementing the exposure of the personal assets of government officials, the capital flight accelerated to US$41.2 billion in November alone.

Sddeutsche Zeitung reported that the second largest group responsible for the flight of capital was government officials.. Read more

11:07Lance Armstrong admits to doping charge at Oprah Winfrey's show: In other news: Lance Armstrong ended a decade of denial by confessing to Oprah Winfrey that he used performance-enhancing drugs to win the Tour de France, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press.The admission Monday came hours after an emotional apology by Armstrong to the Livestrong charity that he founded and turned into a global institution on the strength of his celebrity as a cancer survivor. More

11:02Why is Jan 15 celebrated as Army Day?: Army Day is celebrated on 15 January every year in India, in recognition of Lieutenant General (later Field Marshal) K. M. Cariappa's taking over as the first Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army from Sir Francis Butcher, the last British commander, in 1948. The day is celebrated in the form of parades and other military shows in national capital as well as all 6 Army Command headquarters.

11:01 Yesterday, ahead of the Brigadier-level flat meet at Poonch, the Army Chief swore vengeance at a "place and time of our choosing" for the brutal pre-meditated killings of the two jawans. Read

10:55 "The Army has received praise for its humanitarian values and will ensure it is devoted to protecting the nation. We are proud that we have always followed the rules of engagement at our borders," says General Bikram Singh on the 65th Army Day celebrations in the capital.

10:4565th Army Day: Gen Singh pays tribute to martrys : Army chief General Bikram Singh speaks to the nation on the 65th Army Day. The army chief paid homage to the martyrs who had laid their life down for the nation and died protecting our borders. "We will always be proud of their sacrifices," he says.

10:43 Just in: There's been a blast in a market in Quetta city of southwest Pakistani, causalities are feared.

National Security Advisor Shiv Shankar Menon on Tuesday met opposition leaders Arun Jaitley and Sushma Swaraj on the situation at the Line of Control.

On Monday, after the BJP sharply criticised the government's policy on Pakistan, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had called up the two senior leaders and discussed the issue.

Jaitley has appealed to Dr Singh to immediately review New Delhi's level of engagement with Islamabad.

During their conversation, the PM assured the two leaders that the Opposition would be kept in loop over the situation.

Dr Singh is also said to have assured them that nothing is being done which could not be communicated to the Leaders of Opposition in Parliament. The PM reportedly also appealed to them that the issue should not be politicised.

Swaraj had said on Monday that if India could not recover the head of Lance Naik Hemraj Singh, it should at least bring back 10 Pakistani heads.

"The incident that has happened, we should take revenge. Today, the country is demanding that we should not be proved a weak government. If we don't get this (Lance Naik Hemraj Singh's) head, we should get 10 of theirs (Pakistan army's)," she said.

The BSE benchmark Sensex on Tuesday breached the 20,000-mark in the opening trade after two years on sustained buying by funds, driven by better-than-expected third quarter earnings by Tata Consultancy Services amid mixed Asian cues.

The 30-share index, however, immediately slipped to 19,938.01 on profit-booking, still up by 31.60 points, or 0.16 per cent, from yesterday's close.

It touched a high of 20,007.09 by gaining over 100 points in opening trade, led by gains in IT, tech and consumer durables sector stocks.

Similarly, the wide-based National Stock Exchange index Nifty inched up by 3.35 points, or 0.06 per cent, to 6,027.40.

Brokers said sustained buying by funds and retail investors after country's largest software exporter TCS posted 26.7 per cent jump in net profit for the October-December quarter buoyed the trading sentiment here.

Stocks of TCS shot up by 3 per cent to Rs 1,374.35, while Wipro gained 0.67 per cent to Rs 420.70.

The 23-km corridor connecting the city's business centre of Connaught Place with the Terminal-3 of the Indira Gandhi International Airport was shut down in July last year after cracks were found in the civil structure. The line connects CP with the airport in 20 minutes.

After undergoing extensive repairs for the past six months, the high-speed corridor is now ready for inspection by the CMRS whose green signal is necessary for resumption of services.

CMRS R K Kardam would carry out the inspection for two days from today.

The inspection has been pending for a few weeks since the Delhi Metro sent in a request in November seeking an inspection of the line.

Once the line is cleared by Kardam, the operator Reliance Infrastructure would start services within a couple of days, Delhi Metro sources said.

The high-speed corridor underwent extensive repair on girders and other civil structure after the operator complained of defects.

Ever since, the Delhi Metro and Reliance Infra have been at loggerheads with the private operator even expressing its desire to pull out.

However, Urban Development Ministry, the nodal ministry, stepped in and referred it for arbitration.

On CNN-IBN: Reacting to Indian Army Chief General Bikram singh's comments on Monday, Retired Pakistan Air Vice Marshal Abid Rao says, "First of all, if what you have said is right, I condemn it. The statements given by your Army Chief and your Air Chief...they are blowing the issue beyond proportion. These things can be settled in local flag meeting. Don't blow it out of proportion where public sentiment is also blown up to an extent where people are talking about revenge."

Former Indian diplomat KC Singh replies saying, "To say that we have blown it out of proportion is wrong. It is not a simple death. It's a question of an intruder coming in and committing what is tantamount to war crime."

02:21Obama vows to socialise more in his second term: With her two daughters growing older and not willing to spend too much time with him, US President Obama today lamented his loneliness in the White House and vowed more socialising in his second term.

At the final press conference of his first term, Obama was asked why he doesn't socialise more often. The president protested in reply, "I'm a pretty friendly guy '" I like a good party."

"The nice thing is that now that my girls are getting older, they don't want to spend that much time with me anyway, so I'll be probably calling around, looking for somebody to play cards with me or something, because I'm getting kind of lonely in this big house." Obama said.

Obama says stronger background checks, a 'meaningful' ban on assault weapons and limits on high-capacity ammunition magazines are all ideas he thinks make sense.

He says he's not sure how many of those measures can pass Congress, but he can also use executive power.

Obama says in a news conference in the White House that he expects Congress to set aside politics and focus on common-sense steps that can make a difference.

01:47US pleased over Indo-Pak talks: The US has said that it is pleased that officials from India and Pakistan are talking to resolve their differences over the situation on the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir.

"We are pleased to see that they are talking to each other at a high level. We think that's the right way to work it through," State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland said when asked if the US was satisfied with the talks between the two South Asian neighbors.

"Our understanding is that the high-level discussions between India and Pakistan continue to try to work through the violence on the line of control, try to re-establish calm and accountability there. We are continuing, as we have been for the last week, to encourage both sides to talk to each other," she said in response to a question.

The white, blue and green coloured balloons, tied together with threads, were found in a field near the house of one Raj Kumar in Dhalwan village of Hamirpur district.

The name of a bank in Pakistan was imprinted on some of the balloons, SP Hamirpur Madhusudan said. It appears that the balloons were set free in Pakistan, the officer said, adding that investigations are on in the matter.

Prosecutors argued the boy, now 12, knew what he was doing when he shot 32-year-old Jeff Hall, a regional leader of the National Socialist Movement, and that the killing was premeditated. Hall was shot at point-blank range while he slept on a sofa in the family home.

00:37Ex-US President George H W Bush leaves hospital:AP reports: Former President George H W Bush has left a Houston hospital where he spent nearly two months recovering from an illness that began with a bronchitis-related cough. Bush spokesman Jim McGrath says the 88-year-old Bush was released today from Methodist Hospital.

He was admitted November 23 for treatment of complications resulting from bronchitis. He had spent about a week at the hospital earlier that month for the same ailment.

Doctors said the most recent extended treatment was intended to avoid yet another hospital stay.